Oaxacan Tree Nolina (Nolina longifolia)

Oaxacan Tree Nolina
Nolina longifolia

Plant doesn't look anything like the "Nolina" longifolia specimen in DG database. This looks exactly like the picture shown in Jacobsen and categorized as "Nolina longifolia" later called Beaucarnea.

This photo looks exactly like the plant I have been growing for over 25 years and it is now approx. 10 ft tall. Thought I damaged it 4 years ago when moving into the garage and broke the top, but it just started a new growth from the broken area and now has two tops and doing fine.

hi thistlesifter
what is it that makes your plant different then the Beaucarnea recurvata in the DG data base ?
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2312/index.html
several web sites say Nolina longifolia is similar to Beaucarnea recurvata but i couldn't find what the differences are ?

& an image search of google only finds one image of Beaucarnea longifolia but 2 pages of Nolina longifolia ?

this web site http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Nolina_longifolia.html says Beaucarnea longifolia is a synonym of Nolina longifolia not the other way around ?

just wondering where you got your information ?

thanks
Dick

Hi Dick,

Good questions. First of all most of the succulent community at large call the Beaucarneas by the name Beaucarnea. DG PF opted to go another route an use the new botanical taxonomy which 'lumped' a very distinctive group of plants in the genus Beaucarnea with a bunch of other plants with various genera names. The name they were lumped into was Nolina. All of my friends resist calling them anything but Beaucarnea! Problem with Botanical taxonomy oftentimes is that it does nothing to promote further investigation and study of the plants. Any name that accurately subdivides and furthers defines an order of a genus adds to the understanding of the plants in the subdivisions. Beaucarnea are a very distinct group within Nolina, and yet it is not an officially sanctioned name in the botanical taxonomy according to some botanical taxonomists....


Interestingly, Beaucarnea longifolia was called Nolina longifolia many many years ago. I grew most of my 50 or so Beaucarnea trees from seedlings beginning over 30 years ago, whenever they were all called Bueacarnea. I think any name that was official at one time is a legitimate name. Many of the newer collectors learning these names opt to call them by their new name, that is why the site you reference as well as DG PF call Beaucarnea a synonym of Nolina.

How does B. longifolia differ from recurvata? Until recurvata is quite mature, it is difficult if not impossible to tell the difference. Beaucarneas don't flower until very mature, there is a slight difference in flower and seed formation. But the most striking difference is the relative length of the foliage as the name suggests. Longifolia exists and is the long foliage recurvatas. Some of the images you see in the PF and on the internet called B. recurvata, may in fact be longifolia. Don't depend on the internet images to name your plants there is more misinformation posted and propagated on the internet about plants than has ever been documented in authoritative references.

my Name is based on Hermann Jacobsens reference on succulents Handbook of Succulent Plants (3 Vols.) there is a photo there of Nolina Longifolia. I persist with the name of the plant when I acquired it as a Beaucarnea.

bob
:>)

Bob
you have now confused me even more :-)
so do you think this Beaucarnea ponytail i have had for 20+ years is a recurvata or Longifolia ?

Dick

Longifolia describes the plant. look at the length of your leaves compared to the image of longifolia.

Your plant is most definitely not longifolia. It is Beaucarnea (or as DG PF calls it - Nolina) recurvata. So you would find it in DG Plant Files under Nolina recurvata.


here is one of my larger Beaucarnea recurvatas.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2721656

bob
:>)

thank you Bob

So how long does it take to get that big Bob?

This one is nearly 35 years old..but it hasn't grown much for a 15 year period, because it was attacked by gophers working from the inside and we didn't notice it till the damage was long done (plant wasn't growing, but I didn't know why).

You can read about what we did for the plant on the thread in the link I furnished above.

I have others as big or bigger than this that are 25 years old. They are over 4 feet across the widest diameter of the base. I could have pushed them in which case in our area of CA they could reach this size in less than 20 years.


bob
:>)

This has to be one of the most indestructible plants ever! Even my mom ( who can kill Silk plants) would have success with this plant!
Check out the size of the caudex!!!!!

This message was edited Feb 10, 2008 10:00 AM

Same plant, different angle. I have had this plant for @ 12 years. It is very happy with a strong SW sun field........

This looks very much like a Nolina "La Siberica" strain from Yucca Do I've had growing in our woodland garden for six years. Its grass strands are much broader than the species. I have one of those growing elsewhere in the garden too.